Before the Stardust: Dragon's Fury
by Titanic X
Summary: We all know how the Stardust Angels arrived. But what about the Dragon that lurks in ORB? How did he arrive? What agreement did he strike with ORB? Will he be able to help ORB survive the Bloody Valentine War intact? And will he ever return home to his own dimension?
1. PILOT

Out in the reaches of space, not many could hear the screams of the dead, least of all the screams of the living.

As it stood, this dimension held many interesting secrets. And _he_ was not one to ignore a potential new actor.

There were just so many to pick from.

The boy with the unicorn.

The man with the lion.

The lady with the eagle.

And countless others, some dead, others living.

But there was one that really stood out.

The man who could _become_ the dragon itself.

A sneer crossed _his_ lips as he held out a hand, his touch warping space and time as his abilities activated. He could see _into_ spacetime, and he knew where to strike.

Unseen to the naked eye, a rift appeared in space and a ghostly, purple spectral hand reached out, its fingertips phasing into the device that was being used to bore into new universes. A dark chuckle escaped _him_ as he sensed its functions activating. This would be very interesting, indeed. He targeted the dimension in which he had taken residence, linking them together and activating the device long before its charge time was completed - at beyond its rated power output.

And then things went to hell.

* * *

*_ALARMS BLARING*_

"_We got trouble! The Gate's malfunctioning!_"

"_What's causing it?!_"

"_I...I have no idea, sir! It's... It's like it's got a mind of its own!_"

"_Shut it down!_"

"_We can't!_"

"_Just do it! If not, then destroy it!_"

"_The mobile suits are still out there though! Who knows what could happen!?_"

"_JUST DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!_"

*_ALARMS BLARING*_

"_Sir! A message from the captain! The Gate's sucking in the other units!_"

"_Patch it through!_"

"**_Sir, it's me! We got a problem!_**"

*_SCREEN SHOWS A WHITE MOBILE SUIT, A BLACK MOBILE SUIT, AND A BLUE-WHITE MOBILE SUIT BEING DRAWN TOWARDS A MULTICOLORED PORTAL_*

"**_The Gate's gone out of control!_**"

"_I can see that! Can you save them?_"

"**_Already on it!_**"

*_A DARK BLUE MOBILE SUIT WEARING A TATTERED CLOAK GRABS ONTO ONE OF THE MACHINES BEFORE THROWING IT AWAY FROM THE PORTAL. THE SAME THING IS COMPLETED WITH THE OTHER TWO UNITS BEFORE THE DARK BLUE ONE IS CAUGHT IN THE GRAVITATIONAL FIELD._*

"_NO! CAPTAIN!_"

"**_AGH! I..._**"

*_THE DARK COLORED UNIT LASHES OUT A HAND AND GRABS ONTO SOME OF THE SCAFFOLDING CLOSE TO THE PORTAL. THE SCAFFOLDING JERKS AS THE MOBILE SUIT STRUGGLES TO PULL ITSELF OUT OF THE GRAVITATIONAL FIELD, BUT IT'S NO GOOD. THE SCAFFOLDING STRAINS... AND THEN BREAKS. THE DARK COLORED MOBILE SUIT IS DRAWN INTO THE PORTAL, A SCREAM ECHOING OVER THE COMMS._*

"**CAPTAIN!**"

"_It's no good! He's being drawn in!_"

"_SHUT DOWN THE DAMN DEVICE!_"

"_It's no good! We can't! The device is acting on its own!_"

"_Captain!_"

*_THE PORTAL STARTS TO GO OUT OF CONTROL AS THE DARK BLUE MOBILE SUIT VANISHES INTO ITS MULTICOLORED CENTER. THE COMPUTERS SHORT OUT, CAUSING THE PERSONNEL IN CHARGE TO COVER THEIR FACES OR RETREAT FROM THEIR CONSOLES. THE ALARM CONTINUES TO BLARE BEFORE THE DEVICE OUTSIDE THE SHIP EXPLODES, LEAVING THE OTHER THREE MACHINES STARING IN SHOCK AT WHERE THE PORTAL HAS BEEN._*


	2. AWAKEN

All he could see was the darkness of the night sky as he plummeted.

At least at first glance.

His vision was wavering and blurry as he looked down, spotting the lights of a city in the darkness.

It looked like an island of sorts.

An _inhabited_ island...

That was worrisome, as he had no idea as to where he wound up, or even _when_ he wound up. He had no way of knowing if the inhabitants of that island were friendly, or even human for that matter.

The only thing he could do now was try to stabilize himself and keep himself from coming apart on impact. He forced himself to ignore the pounding headache that was the source of his disorientation and to focus on evening himself out.

Slowly the wings on his back flexed out from underneath his cloak, and he spread his arms and legs to try and slow his descent. His systems screamed at him as he felt the pain surging through them. His vision wavered as he grunted, feeling lightheaded for a brief moment.

The first thing he had to do was get to land. Then he could black out later. His optics narrowed a bit as he analyzed his trajectory. A grunt escaped him as he noted he was falling towards the water and not the land. An impact with land was much preferred because then he wouldn't lose a limb or two. And the vegetation could act as a means to slow himself down if he skidded.

With that in mind, he adjusted himself and flared his thrusters a bit, using them to propel himself closer to the landmass beneath him.

He could now see that buildings were coming into view further away from his intended landing zone. Some of the lights were on, and others were dark, indicating that people were going to bed or sleeping.

The ground was now getting closer.

He braced for impact.

* * *

**(**_Shows a dark blue mobile suit tumbling through spacetime before a portal closes_**)**

**Opening: ID-0 (ID-0)**

**monogatari ga ima hajimaru... (**_Shows a pair of optics coming online before a figure stands atop a cliff, overlooking the city of Olofat, Yalafath as the title appears_**)**

**Title: Before the Stardust: Dragon's Fury**

**doko e nagarete tadoritsuku no ka ****(**_A bright light is shown in Orb's nighttime sky, falling towards a wooded hillside as two red eyes sneer in the background_**)**

**dare o motomete ikiru no ka ****(**_The light crashes into the hillside before the smoke fades to show Cagalli with the Desert_ _Dawn_**)**

**koko ni aru no ga sadame nara ****(**_The princess is shown beside Kira and in the background Ulen Hibiki sneers before fading as a cloak starts to blow_**)**

**isso gyutto ****dakishimete kanata made ****(**_The camera pans to the right to show a cloaked mobile suit standing atop a cliff, a pair of violet optics flashing beneath the hood_**)**

**You must be here now (**_The mobile suit throws the cloak open to reveal dark blue armor before the camera zooms out to show him beside Lord Uzumi Nara Attha and his aides_**)**

**kodoku ni mukau michi o yuku no ka (**_The camera pans out and around to show Cagalli standing beside the remains of an Astray, her eyes locked onto the head unit_**)**

** dare no kokoro ni ikiru no ka (**_Cagalli looks down at a locket in her hand before she clenches her fist around it, Kira showing up in the background with Athrun beside him_**)**

**kyokou no uzu ni tobikomeba (**_The princess is then scooped up in two metal hands, revealing them to be the Dracon's hands as she looks up into the machine's violet optics_**)**

**fake & sorrow afuredasu gozen niji (**_The Dracon takes flight, carrying Cagalli into the night sky as a pair of red eyes flickers in the backrground_**)**

**toki no tabibito yo (**_The Dracon is shown tumbling through spacetime in Cagalli's eyes_**)**

**mabuta tojite (**_Cagalli closes her eyes and prays_**)**

**hoshikuzu o koeru SUPIIDO de (**_The Dracon rockets past overhead, thrusters burning as a comet passes by, leaving a wake for the machine to pass through_**)**

**Dive into the stars (**_The Dracon passes by a ship as it hovers in place, a man with crimson eyes watching from the bridge_**)**

**monogatari no hajimari made (**_The dark colored mobile suit lands atop a cliff overlooking Olofat, violet optics narrowing a bit as the head lifts to gaze at the sky_**)**

**mogaki agaki tsuzuketeiku (**_The machine lunges for a cluster of strange looking mobile suits, a sword flashing as it's drawn out of its shield holster_**)**

**zero kara nukedasu (**_As the mobile suits clash, images from the Dracon's home universe march past in still frame_**)**

**aoki toki o shinjite (**_The Gundam's optics flash as the sword cleaves through one of the strange mobile suits before whirling and pouncing on another_**)**

**Calling you Calling you Everywhere (**_An explosion engulfs the screen as the shadowy shape sneers, holding a red glass of wine in its hand as the dark blue Gundam glares at it_**)**

**utae sakebe samayoibito (**_The machine lunges, optics flaring as an unheard roar echoes in the vast chamber_**)**

**haruka na negai e to (**_In the background, a building is illuminated by fire as soldiers storm its grounds_**)**

**tsumi mo aimo nagashite go away (**_The soldiers usher small forms away from the building into waiting ambulances while other forms are led into military vehicles for transport_**)**

**tamashii goto yurase yurase (**_The Dracon lands atop a cliff looking over the lab before the camera pivots to the side, showing Olofat at night_**)**

**inochi tadoru Heralder! (**_The scene is frozen in a flash frame, the Dracon shown next to the city, the images of Cagalli and Lord Uzumi standing beside it_**)**

**BEFORE THE STARDUST: DRAGON'S FURY**

** Awaken**

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

**Date: Unknown**

**Time: Unknown**

_Booting..._

_Systems operational  
__Weapons systems: online  
__Servos: online  
__Thrusters: online  
__Communications: online  
Optical systems: online  
Audial systems: online  
Vocalization systems: online  
Olfactory systems: online  
__Radar: online  
__Psychoframe: offline - activation pending  
__Newtype-Destroyer System: offline - activation pending  
__Minovsky Reactor: Online  
__Memory files: corrupted  
__Beginning recovery...  
__Recovery 15%... 20%... 50%...  
__Error: Files corrupted. Cannot complete recovery. Booting restored files...  
__Files booted  
__Beginning startup sequence...  
__Sequence complete..._

The first thing he realized when he came to was that his processor was _throbbing_. It felt like someone had just ripped it out and then stuffed it back inside his head in a mess of wires and circuits.

An involuntary groan escaped his vocalizer as his audio receptors came online. He could faintly hear voices, and they seemed to be speaking Japanese. His translator picked up the language and easily converted it to English for his benefit. At first he wasn't sure what they were talking about, but as time passed, his hearing sharpened enough to where he could make it out.

"...unsure if the systems can even _be_ copied..."

"...advanced this reactor is! It's beyond anything we can create at the moment..."

"...weapons unlike anything we have. Just who built this..."

Oh...

So that was it. They were talking about _him_.

He decided to play possum and take stock of his situation. Already he could sense he was lying against the wall of some kind of facility, if what he was hearing was of any indication. His cloak was also missing, which made him feel somewhat naked. Figuratively, of course. He wasn't sure if the people here were even friendly, least of all if they were truly advanced. For all he knew they were in a technological revolution, and his frame was the most advanced thing they had seen. He decided to take a chance and slowly expanded his Newtype senses, picking up on some of their thoughts. He made out thoughts of amazement and disbelief at his arsenal, and even at his reactor, which he discovered was exposed as some of his chest armor plating was removed.

He also wasn't sure if there could be someone he could trust here in this unknown dimension or time. But he couldn't just fake staying offline forever. They could be getting ready to dismantle him for all he knew!

That alone was enough to make him shudder, earning a few yelps from some of the technicians crawling over his frame and systems.

"That thing just moved?!"

"Impossible! There's no cockpit from what we can see!"

"Maybe the pilot is in the head?"

"Please! That's just a kid's cartoon! No mobile suit has the cockpit located there!"

Okay. Maybe he could work with this.

He slowly brought his optics online and lifted his head, surprising the group gathered around him. He slowly looked around the chamber he was in, noticing the glimmering steel floors and walls. He was clearly in some kind of mechanical facility, if the parts scattered around were of any indication. A few of the pieces resembled those of mobile suits, mainly in arm and leg servos, joints, a few heads, and some mechanical hand components.

He cast his gaze down on the people observing him and he slowly shifted, causing them to scramble back in case he got any ideas in his processor.

"Excuse me, but..." He paused, unsure of how to continue, seeing as how the technicians and other personnel present were all nervously looking at one another. "Um... sorry to ask but... is it too much trouble to ask you to replace my chest armor? I... I feel kind of naked without it..."

"Just who - and _what_ \- in the world are you?" one of the technicians demanded, pointing a finger at him.

Off to the side, his sensors detected a small contingent of what appeared to be government officials observing him, and he was on guard instantly.

And to be honest, he had every reason to be wary. While these guys did seem to have mobile suit technology, he wasn't sure if they were even friendly. So he had to be careful.

"Unfortunately, I'd... rather not say at the moment," he said, trying to figure out a plan. "It's kind of hard to earn someone's trust when you've got a bunch of technicians crawling over your frame." Then he looked down at the tech who had spoken directly to him. "But I _can_ assure you I mean no harm. In fact, I'd say _you're_ the ones who want to do _me_ harm, with the way you're poking around my innards."

Some of the technicians began to look uncomfortable and they began to back away, while two others started debating on whether or not they should replace his chest armor. His left hand went up to cover the exposed section of his chest and his reactor for the moment. He glanced down at it as some of the others gathered close to discuss what to do next. As he sat there, he bowed his head as he let his mind wander back to the instant he wound up here.

In actuality, it hadn't been so much as an instant as it had felt like an eternity as well. One minute he had been drawn into the portal, next he had twisted and tumbled through spacetime, feeling as if he were being disassembled and reassembled at the exact same time before darkness overcame his vision. And then he was dumped out of a portal similar to the one he had been drawn into, falling through the atmosphere...and then striking the ground at high speed. All he recalled after that was a pounding headache, feeling his processor throbbing like a drumbeat. And feeling like he wanted to... to... to _kill_... kill someone... someone who...

His processor throbbed and he groaned, placing a hand to his helm. "Damn processorache..." he muttered.

That was one of the downsides to being a Newtype, he mused as he slowly lowered his hand. The major downside was being able to sense potent emotions, such as hatred and rage, grief and sadness, fury and anger. And this world was just _permeating_ with hatred. Not just a certain few, but a good _majority_ of the planet was engulfed in it. And it seemed to be centered on North America, in particular. And then there were the six entities he had detected... Entities that felt like they weren't human, but human at the exact same time. Like they had human minds, but like they had been... dare he say it? - _reprogrammed_ like... like machines, computers, or other smart devices. But then again, was that real?

His optics flickered a bit as he lifted his head, just in time to see one of the government officials approaching him. He clearly looked older than he really was, with grey hair and steel colored eyes. He wore a dark purple suit with a light blue shirt, and he appeared to be well built, broad in the shoulders and chest. But it was the gaze in the man's eyes that caught his attention. They were keen, quick, and intelligent. But within them burned a fire, a passion for doing what was right and never wavering in his beliefs and ideals.

The man stopped not too far from him atop the catwalk, and he frowned as he studied his...guest...critically. His eyes narrowed a bit as he locked his gaze with his violet optics. "So. This is the machine that landed on our lands," he mused aloud.

"That's right, sir. And apparently it's fully sentient," one of the technicians reported.

"Sentient..." The man's voice trailed off

"Yes. I am fully capable of thinking for myself," he remarked, rolling his optics.

The man hummed as he studied the sentient machine. "I assume you have a designation, then, do you not?"

"Actually, I don't _have_ a designation, per say," he clarified. "But I _do_ have a name."

"And what is your name then, if you don't have a designation?" the man inquired.

"It's Matthews. Joseph 'Seph' Matthews," he said, introducing himself.

* * *

**Unknown location**

_A sneer crossed his face as he chuckled._

_The scene was just too delectable to ignore._

_The man in the machine was definitely going to be an interesting actor, that was for sure._

_He sipped a bit of his wine as he heard a presence in his thoughts. He glanced up and frowned._

_"Oh, come now. He's not that much of a threat," he remarked._

_Silence filled the chamber as he swirled his drink in its glass. He hummed to himself._

_"He's only a mere mortal compared to me. That little psychoframe of his doesn't even have enough power to match us," he mused aloud._

_Once again silence echoed in the room._

_"Heh. I will admit that him being in ORB could change things, but then again, what haven't we changed?" he asked, almost cheerfully as he sipped his wine. "The little lizard's bark is worse than its bite, really."_

_He looked to the images depicting the machine talking to the so-called Lion of Orb. "Plus... given how some of us escaped to other realms... who's to say he may not be one of us? Just ignorant of his powers?"_

_He listened to the unknown, unheard speaker for a moment before he snorted. "Okay. You have a good point. He may not be, but who knows?" A sadistic grin crossed his face as his eyes gleamed... their pupils shifting into the letter X. "I do want to see what his capabilities truly are..."_

_Behind him a pair of optics flared brightly..._

* * *

**Location: Olofat, Orb**

**Date: 18 February, 0070 CE**

**Time: 0900 hours**

For Orb Chief Representative Lord Uzumi Nara Athha, the week was only getting worse.

First there was the opening of actual hostilities between Earth and the PLANTs, and now there was this. The arrival of a sentient mobile suit that claimed to come from _another dimension_, and to have been a human being once.

He stood in his office later that morning, watching the sun creeping over the city of Olofat, the capital of his country.

He turned just as he heard the door opening. "Father?" The voice indicated it was his daughter.

"Ah, Cagalli. I trust you slept well?" he asked.

The Princess of Orb nodded. "Yes, I did," she remarked. "And you, Father? Something seems to be bothering you."

"Recent events have occupied my mind, is all," Lord Uzumi said as he turned back to face the window. "Especially concerning the crash last night."

Cagalli looked out the window, joining her father's side. "You mean that shooting star?"

The Lion of Orb nodded. "Yes. Except it was not a shooting star." His eyes hardened. "It was something else entirely."

"What was it?" Cagalli asked.

"A mobile suit we have never seen before..." Lord Uzumi said seriously. "Many suspect that it comes from ZAFT, but... until we know more, we have to treat it as a possible threat to Orb's safety."

Cagalli was about to ask further questions, but the leader of Orb shot his gaze to her as she opened her mouth. "And it is not up for further discussion, Cagalli."

The Princess huffed, but relented as she turned and left.

Lord Uzumi turned back to the window and pondered the destruction of the colony. He had heard rumors of the death toll, but so far nothing substantial had been reported yet. At least according to the news. The whole thing was a complete shocker. Why the Earth Alliance had even launched an attack on an unarmed colony was beyond him, other than that they were seen as inhuman space monsters.

And truthfully, the whole idea of calling Coordinators inhuman was only a mark of racism, a new type of racism that had surfaced in the aftermath of George Glenn's assassination. The racism of genetics. But to assume that they were going to wipe out all Naturals was going a bit far. After all, despite their enhancements, they shared the same base DNA, didn't they? That was why ORB had been founded: as a place where Naturals and Coordinators could live in peace despite their genetic differences, and as a haven for those who were escaping persecution in select countries, such as the Atlantic Federation.

The ideals that made his nation strong also were translated into an efficient military force, not just for their own protection, but to ensure that they remained true to their ideals. Any nation was a potential threat to that, and as such, they needed to be able to hold their own. But with the development and deployment of ZAFT mobile suits in 0069 CE, he wasn't too keen on having Orb be caught off guard or with their pants down.

Orb needed their own machines. And soon.

He needed to figure out a plan to at least give Orb a fighting chance.

The only thing here was that while Orb did have sufficient technology, their newfound 'guest' actually had _more_ advanced technology. Such as a nuclear reactor that could put out more power than even their most advanced engines to date.

He did not want to antagonize their guest in any way, as with his arsenal, it seemed to him that he could possibly take over Orb if he chose to do so. But he wasn't even doing anything hostile at the moment; just sitting in the hangar, trying to make small talk with the technicians as they poured over his frame.

So far, anyway.

Truthfully, the idea of a sentient mobile suit was a chilling thought. Who knew if 'he' could be trusted? Old literature centered around that subject often had humans fighting against artificial intelligence for their very survival. Most times in such fiction the AI in question was evil or wished to destroy the human race. Not many had morals, like humans did.

Lord Uzumi finally sighed.

He intended to talk to their 'guest' and get answers.

He proceeded to assess the situation as he made his way from the palace to Morgenrote HQ where the sentient mobile suit was stored in the main assembly hangar. From what he knew, the machine clearly possessed a male gender, or at least identified as male, from the sound of 'his' voice. And 'he' seemed to be a gentle sort, the key word being 'seemed' at this stage of the game.

The Lion of Orb arrived at the hangar where several guards stood outside the doors. "Sir!" one of them said, saluting.

"At ease," Lord Uzumi said as he nodded. "I wish to speak to our... guest... if you do not mind."

"Sir, are you sure that's wise?" a second guard inquired.

The Lion of Orb narrowed his eyes and the man shivered before he stepped aside. "Be careful, sir..." he muttered.

Uzumi nodded and approached the door. The guards stepped aside as the doors slid open.

Inside, the sentient mobile suit was still sitting beside the catwalk, but this time the chest armor had been replaced and 'he' was currently wearing what could only be described as a cloak of some sort. The fabric looked like it had seen better days though, what with how torn up and tattered it was. Beside 'him' on the catwalk was the chief engineer of the company, Erica Simmons. The two were obviously engaged in some small talk.

The leader of Orb cleared his throat and both human and machine met his gaze.

"I assume you two have gotten to know one another?" Uzumi asked.

"Lord Athha!" The chief engineer stood up and gave a small bow. "I wasn't expecting you to show up, sir."

"Rise, Ms. Simmons," Lord Athha said as he drew closer. "There is no need for that here."

He then cast his gaze up at the dark blue mobile suit. "I see you are somewhat comfortable?" the Lion of Orb inquired.

The mobile suit nodded. "Yeah. It's not like home, but it works." 'He' shrugged. "I've been in worse situations."

The man narrowed his eyes as he studied the sentient machine calling 'himself' Joseph 'Seph' Matthews.

From what he could see, the sentient mobile suit was powerfully built, with broad shoulders and chest, and a muscular looking frame. On 'his' back were a pair of draconic-looking wings, with strange-looking objects on them. A golden V-shaped crest adorned 'his' forehead, and 'his' violet optics pulsed with sentience and intelligence, as well as raw human emotion. 'His' armor was entirely dark blue, with a white faceplate and dark grey hands and joints. But what really caught Lord Uzumi's eye was the glowing greenish-white inner frame. It seemed to shimmer with life, or some kind of unknown power, and he got the feeling like this machine was not one to mess with, or piss off, for that matter.

'_Hmm. It may be in my best interest to let this machine dictate the conversation,_' he thought.

"I am just glad you are comfortable," Lord Uzumi replied.

The machine chuckled, a deep, rich laugh coming from within 'his' chest at that. "Yeah. Me too. I can stand being just kept in standing position for long periods of time, but I don't like it one bit. It gives me cramps."

"Cramps?" Lord Uzumi cocked an eyebrow.

The sentient mobile suit, 'Seph', nodded. "Yeah. Don't ask, but I do get cramps if I don't get movement in every now and then."

The Lion of Orb hummed a bit as the dark blue machine shifted. "But that's beside the point. What made you decide to come down here?" 'His' optics narrowed a bit. "Because I have a feeling you came here for something."

"You would be correct," Lord Uzumi said seriously. "It has to do with the current war."

"Ms. Simmons was just telling me a bit about it," the mobile suit said. "I'm kind of surprised, actually."

"You shouldn't be," Uzumi explained. "It's been brewing for some time. And it's only about to get worse."

"How so?" The mobile suit tilted 'his' head to the side a bit.

Lord Uzumi was silent for a few seconds before he gestured to Erica. "At first glance, does she appear to be a normal human?"

Confusion flooded those violet optics as the mobile suit reached up a hand to scratch 'his' helm. "Uh... yeah. Why?"

"Ms. Simmons here is actually not a normal human," Uzumi began. "She is actually a genetically enhanced human being, known as a Coordinator." He lowered his hand and faced the mobile suit directly. "And I am what is known as a Natural, or unenhanced human being. Ms. Simmons, on the other hand, is much faster, stronger, and more intelligent than me, as well as having the benefit of being immune to virtually all diseases known to mankind."

"So she's some kind of superhuman?" 'Seph' wondered.

"Not a superhuman," Uzumi clarified. "A genetically enhanced human. She is just as human as any of us Naturals."

The mobile suit looked to the engineer. "It's true," she said. "I could care less about whether or not I'm superior to Naturals. In fact, most Coordinators could care less about that."

"..." The sentient mobile suit made a noise akin to a snort as 'he' rolled 'his' violet optics as best 'he' could. "And this war? How does that tie into this?"

"This war was started due to an attack that was launched on the PLANT colonies up in orbit," Uzumi stated. "Actually, the tensions had been building long before that, Mr. Matthews."

* * *

To Captain Joseph 'Seph' Matthews of the Earth Federation, to hear that tensions had been building to this point in time was something unexpected.

"...care to explain then, Lord Athha?" he asked, remembering what Erica Simmons had called the man before him. "Because I'm _really_ confused now."

"Very well." Lord Athha then delved into the history of the Coordinators, starting with the First Coordinator, a man named George Glenn. Apparently he had been a star athlete, a brilliant student, an Olympic athlete, a star football player _and_ an ace pilot in the Air Force, as well as a major scientist in aerospace engineering. He was also an explorer, having brought back the fossil now dubbed '_Evidence 01_' now stored in Aprilius One, the capital of the colonies known as the PLANTs.

Not just that, but he was also the one who set off the Coordinator Controversy, and led to his assassination by a much younger Natural who was jealous that he hadn't been born a Coordinator.

With Glenn's death, the world was forever changed. Hatred became more pronounced, Coordinators were assassinated, and they were forced to flee for the PLANT colonies up in orbit.

Now, with hatred spiraling out of control, genoism, or genetic racism, was leading the world down a very dangerous path.

Seph hummed to himself as he folded his arms across his chest. "Hm. I see... So to put it simply... this whole thing is an overblown temper tantrum, right?"

Lord Athha stared at him critically, and he swore he saw the man's left eyebrow twitch a bit. "You call this war a temper tantrum, and yet it will only get worse," he repeated.

The Gundam scoffed and rolled his optics. "I know it sounds wrong, but this whole thing _is_ just an overblown tantrum. I mean... back home in my universe, the war actually made sense because the colonies wanted their independence. But this? How stupid can it get? Something as trivial as _how a person is born_ should not be fought over!" he remarked.

"..." Lord Athha was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Perhaps, but it is happening, Mr. Matthews." He placed a hand on his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And this is why Orb has to maintain its neutrality. Our technology is advanced, but ever since ZAFT developed mobile suits... It's only a matter of time before even we get overrun."

"And the machines we do have under construction may not be ready in time for any coming invasion," Erica added grimly as she cast her gaze around the hangar.

"Hm..." Seph closed his optics as he unfolded his arms and tapped one metal finger on the catwalk. "Well... seems like you're in a predicament," he mused. "As am I, actually."

"Yes. You told me of how you got here," Lord Athha recalled. "And I can safely assume you wish to return home, am I correct?"

The Gundam nodded. "Yeah. You're right on that one." Then he grew serious. "But while I'm here, I can't just sit by and do nothing. And while I do respect your philosophy, in a case like this, it could be either your salvation or downfall. And from the looks of things, you'll be needing some help."

"I will admit that, Mr. Matthews," Lord Athha said tiredly. "And that is why I fear Orb could be attacked at any time."

"And I can understand that," Seph said. "But I'm not about to become someone's attack dog just because I'm the strongest machine here."

The lawman rubbed his temples. "Great... Just when I was hoping for something good to happen..."

"_However_..." Seph began," I do have a proposition. Seeing as how you need some information to get your... little project... in the works off the ground, I'm willing to make a deal."

That got the leader of Orb. He looked up. "What kind of an agreement are you proposing?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What I can do is offer you my frame's motion data, as well as the basic inner construction," the Gundam explained, "as well as provide you with some serious firepower until your own machines are ready for deployment and combat operations." Then he narrowed his optics. "However, there is a catch."

"Hm?" Lord Athha arched an eyebrow.

"Let's just say I have a... a gift... of sorts for picking out spies in a crowd," Seph explained cryptically. "Back during when we first met, I saw two of the government officials with you looking a bit fearful. And I suspect that maybe they have loyalties to another group other than your nation." Seph was actually a bit surprised the five noble houses and parliament worked together, but he wasn't about to make any comments on their government.

"Spies? In our government?" Erica looked to Lord Athha, whose eyes narrowed.

"I see..." the man rumbled, sounding just like a lion in the way he spoke. Seph's optics widened a bit in mild surprise. "Well, if that's the case, then all the more reason for this to be kept secret."

"Yeah. But in return, I expect to be allowed to stay here and return for repairs if I need it," the Gundam added.

Lord Athha closed his eyes and folded his arms. "Hm..."

Seph was tempted to use his Newtype senses to pry into the man's mind, but he didn't want to jeopardize a potential working relationship so early in the game. As it stood, these people could very well be his only hope of survival in this new world, and he had to admit, it was necessary to find allies who could be trusted in this broken dimension. Given how much hatred was raging, it had made things difficult for him as his senses had spiked repeatedly in the last few days. But after a while, he had hardened his mental defenses and blocked out the majority of it from his processor. And with both sides - Natural and Coordinator - going to war over something as trivial as genetics, it made sense to find a nation that had sense left.

Lord Athha finally opened his eyes. "Very well. I accept the terms of your deal."

The Gundam let out a small chuckle. "Good. I was kind of worried you wouldn't."

"But, I am assigning you to be observed and watched over by Ms. Simmons here," the man continued. "That way she can keep me informed of your progress and any damages you may need repaired."

Seph tilted his helm to the side a little, but nodded. "All right. Oh, and uh... one more thing. I... kinda would like a space to lay down, if needed..."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Erica remarked with a giggle.

The sentient Dracon rolled his optics a bit before Lord Athha turned and prepared to leave. Before he left though, he looked back over his shoulder. "I expect you to do your best to keep our borders safe... and any clashing adversaries away from us."

"Right. You got it!" Seph gave a salute before the leader of Orb left the hangar.

Of course, things were only just beginning...

* * *

_He sneered as he watched his newest actor getting into his role. "Ah... perfect..."_

_..._

_A scoff came from him. "Sure. But we'll know soon enough."_

_..._

_"Okay. If he does get Orb's mobile suit program jumpstarted, who's to say it won't be delayed?" A sneer crossed his face._

_..._

_He turned to observe the dark blue machine, his eyes flashing in a sneer._

_He chuckled as he sipped his drink. "Perfect... all the players are coming together..."_


	3. TRIAL

"Holy crap...!"

Chief Engineer Erica Simmons was surprised as she pored over the data in front of her. Her dark green eyes darted across the tablet, taking in all the images with an experienced eye.

"This is incredible!" she breathed.

She turned her gaze to the sentient mobile suit, Seph, as he stood beside her. "And this is just motion data?!"

He nodded. "Yep. It covers all range of motion, which actually is good, as the last machine you showed me the plans for looked as if it didn't have much range of motion in the limbs at all." He shook his head. "Whoever came up with the plans for the joints didn't even bother to look at the images of ZAFT's newest machines, did they?"

"I guess not," Erica giggled. Then she became serious as she looked at the data again. "This is going to take some time to perfect the joints..."

"Then I highly recommend you get started on that first and foremost," Seph suggested. His violet optics hardened. "Otherwise your machines won't even move properly. You want them to move as swiftly as possible, and the lighter they are, the better chance they'll have of dodging."

"Greater weight could mean the difference between life and death," Erica countered.

"But agility matters just as much in combat," Seph retorted as he folded his arms. "I've fought in war before, and trust me, nothing is as important as the ability to dodge enemy fire. True mobile suits can take a pounding, but it's better to have agility as well as defense and offense."

"Speaking from experience then?" the Coordinator woman asked.

The mobile suit nodded. "Yep. But it's also because I'm a special class of mobile suit."

"Oh? What kind?" Erica asked.

Here Seph's optics glimmered in what could only be a smirk. "A Gundam."

"Gundam?" Erica cocked an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"A type of mobile suit that's designed to be high performance compared to other mass production models," Seph began. He leaned back against the wall and shifted a bit on his feet. "They're usually equipped with the most advanced weapons or experimental weapons of their time, and well..." He shrugged. "Sometimes they can even be upgraded. But the point is, the Gundam is usually a high performance machine, given to their best pilots, or sometimes the pilots can accidentally wind up in said machine instead."

Erica pursed her lips at that. A Gundam... "Hmm... I think you may have given me an idea or two..." she mused.

* * *

**(**_Shows a dark blue mobile suit tumbling through spacetime before a portal closes_**)**

**Opening: ID-0 (ID-0)**

**monogatari ga ima hajimaru... (**_Shows a pair of optics coming online before a figure stands atop a cliff, overlooking the city of Olofat, Yalafath as the title appears_**)**

**Title: Before the Stardust: Dragon's Fury**

**doko e nagarete tadoritsuku no ka ****(**_A bright light is shown in Orb's nighttime sky, falling towards a wooded hillside as two red eyes sneer in the background_**)**

**dare o motomete ikiru no ka ****(**_The light crashes into the hillside before the smoke fades to show Cagalli with the Desert_ _Dawn_**)**

**koko ni aru no ga sadame nara ****(**_The princess is shown beside Kira and in the background Ulen Hibiki sneers before fading as a cloak starts to blow_**)**

**isso gyutto ****dakishimete kanata made ****(**_The camera pans to the right to show a cloaked mobile suit standing atop a cliff, a pair of violet optics flashing beneath the hood_**)**

**You must be here now (**_The mobile suit throws the cloak open to reveal dark blue armor before the camera zooms out to show him beside Lord Uzumi Nara Attha and his aides_**)**

**kodoku ni mukau michi o yuku no ka (**_The camera pans out and around to show Cagalli standing beside the remains of an Astray, her eyes locked onto the head unit_**)**

** dare no kokoro ni ikiru no ka (**_Cagalli looks down at a locket in her hand before she clenches her fist around it, Kira showing up in the background with Athrun beside him_**)**

**kyokou no uzu ni tobikomeba (**_The princess is then scooped up in two metal hands, revealing them to be the Dracon's hands as she looks up into the machine's violet optics_**)**

**fake & sorrow afuredasu gozen niji (**_The Dracon takes flight, carrying Cagalli into the night sky as a pair of red eyes flickers in the backrground_**)**

**toki no tabibito yo (**_The Dracon is shown tumbling through spacetime in Cagalli's eyes_**)**

**mabuta tojite (**_Cagalli closes her eyes and prays_**)**

**hoshikuzu o koeru SUPIIDO de (**_The Dracon rockets past overhead, thrusters burning as a comet passes by, leaving a wake for the machine to pass through_**)**

**Dive into the stars (**_The Dracon passes by a ship as it hovers in place, a man with crimson eyes watching from the bridge_**)**

**monogatari no hajimari made (**_The dark colored mobile suit lands atop a cliff overlooking Olofat, violet optics narrowing a bit as the head lifts to gaze at the sky_**)**

**mogaki agaki tsuzuketeiku (**_The machine lunges for a cluster of strange looking mobile suits, a sword flashing as it's drawn out of its shield holster_**)**

**zero kara nukedasu (**_As the mobile suits clash, images from the Dracon's home universe march past in still frame_**)**

**aoki toki o shinjite (**_The Gundam's optics flash as the sword cleaves through one of the strange mobile suits before whirling and pouncing on another_**)**

**Calling you Calling you Everywhere (**_An explosion engulfs the screen as the shadowy shape sneers, holding a red glass of wine in its hand as the dark blue Gundam glares at it_**)**

**utae sakebe samayoibito (**_The machine lunges, optics flaring as an unheard roar echoes in the vast chamber_**)**

**haruka na negai e to (**_In the background, a building is illuminated by fire as soldiers storm its grounds_**)**

**tsumi mo aimo nagashite go away (**_The soldiers usher small forms away from the building into waiting ambulances while other forms are led into military vehicles for transport_**)**

**tamashii goto yurase yurase (**_The Dracon lands atop a cliff looking over the lab before the camera pivots to the side, showing Olofat at night_**)**

**inochi tadoru Heralder! (**_The scene is frozen in a flash frame, the Dracon shown next to the city, the images of Cagalli and Lord Uzumi standing beside it_**)**

**BEFORE THE STARDUST: DRAGON'S FURY**

** Trial**

* * *

**Location: Olofat, Orb**

**Date: 2 March, 0070 CE**

**Time: 1000 hours**

"Has it been almost a month already?" Seph wondered as he stood outside the hangar.

The wind gently teased at his cloak, causing it to flutter around his frame. "Because it feels like it's been longer than that..."

"You think so?" a familiar female voice asked.

Seph shot a glance down to look at his feet, noticing the chief engineer standing there beside him. "Time can fly when you have much to do."

"Not like I had much to do," the Gundam retorted as he folded his arms and leaned against the side of the mountain the hangar was under. "Unless you count reading and watching propaganda on this stupid war..."

"So? It's not that bad," Erica remarked.

"Ms. Simmons, I hate to admit it, but... that's just the issue," Seph said seriously. He straightened up and got down onto his knees before sitting down, letting his legs hang out over the walkway. "The reports on the war are not even factual."

"Huh?" Erica looked genuinely confused. "I don't get what you mean."

"Orb is the only nation that dares to try and tell the truth," Seph clarified. "The Atlantic Federation, which I did some research on, is constantly spouting propaganda about you Coordinators, saying the most outlandish things... that you can leap over buildings, lift cars with one hand, and are capable of surviving bomb blasts." He looked down at her. "And from what I know, Coordinators aren't enhanced to that degree, are they?"

The chief engineer was surprised that their guest had done his research, but also was questioning what was true. "So you aren't sure," she mused.

"No. I am sure that Coordinators don't have that kind of capability," he explained. "But the _way_ they present it as factual is what's disturbing."

Here Erica frowned as she joined Seph. She swung her legs out over the water, noting how his feet were barely dipping into the water. "It is disturbing on so many levels," she admitted. "And you are correct. We Coordinators aren't genetically enhanced to be superhumans. We are only enhanced to bring out our full potential." She sighed. "To enhanced a Coordinator that much would mean effectively turning them into something inhuman. A genetic monstrosity."

Seph's optics narrowed a bit. "Yeah. And that's what's worrisome."

"I can see why you'd be concerned then," Erica mused as she shifted a bit closer to Seph's hand.

The Gundam glanced down at her, and it was then she caught sight of something hidden in his side skirt armor. It looked like a chain... "What's that?" she asked, pointing to it.

"Oh, this?" Seph reached down and pulled it free from its slot, revealing the chain to be attached to a... locket? "It's just a little something the people I served with made for me."

"It looks like a locket..." Erica murmured as the Gundam shifted to the side a bit to lay the locket down on the concrete.

"It is," he said softly. "I know it's strange for me to have it, but... honestly, it's the one thing that I have of my family while I'm here... and it gives me a reason to try and fight to get home."

One large metal finger reached out and flicked the locket, causing it to open. Erica leaned in and was surprised to see the contents. Inside was an image of a beautiful woman with chocolate colored hair and sky blue eyes, with a nice bronzed skin tone. A smile adorned her face, and below her were two infant babies, one with blue eyes and one with green eyes. On the other side of the image was a message written in the metal itself. "_To my brave Gundam knight. Your love is my light in the darkest night. With love, Tina._"

The engineer stared at it for a moment before she looked up into his violet optics. She noticed how they seemed to glimmer with worry and sadness as he sighed heavily. "I miss her so much..."

"You... You're _married_?" Erica whispered in mild shock.

"Yeah. I'm married," Seph replied. "I... I know it's strange to you, but before I got transferred to this universe, me and Tina tied the knot. I was still in my human body then, if you're curious."

Erica's eyes narrowed. "Wait. You say you were still human? What do you mean, Mr. Matthews?"

Seph had to keep from snorting as he rolled his optics. "Please don't call me that. It makes me feel way too old, like I'm in my seventies. I'm only thirty five!"

The engineer giggled at the way his wings furled a bit.

"But for clarification, I...have the ability to transfer my very essence from my human body into this frame. I guess it's like a second body, you could say, if something bad were to happen to my human body," Seph explained. He closed up the locket and picked it up before draping it over his head and neck to rest against his chest armor.

"And that allows you to fight without risking your human body then," Erica surmised. "Is that correct?"

The Gundam nodded. "Yep. That's it. I just hop into a pod, focus and let my mind link up to the frame, and then I _become_ the machine, basically."

"It sounds like it could be an advantage in the right hands, and a weapon in the wrong ones," the Coordinator said softly as she started swinging her legs back and forth. A few seagulls chirped and circled around the two, some of them landing atop Seph's shoulder guards and V-fin.

"Yeah. That's what most people say," he remarked.

Then he looked down at her. "But something tells me you didn't just come out here to make small talk."

"It's true. I came out to find you because we need your help," Erica explained. "Giving us the motion data is fine and all, but we need real data on how to construct the joints for mobile suits with your movement capabilities."

"Hm. So you need me to run some motion tests, is that it?" the Gundam rumbled.

The engineer nodded. "Yes. If you don't mind."

Much to her surprise, he chuckled a bit. "I don't mind," he said. "I'm more than willing to help if it gives you guys a fighting chance."

The woman grinned. "Thank you, Mr. Matthews!" she cheered.

The way Seph narrowed his optics though caught her off guard and she cleared her throat, trying to be professional. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's just a habit."

"If you want to call me something, I'd prefer to be called Seph," he remarked. "It's a lot better than being called Mr. Matthews. And I prefer to be on a nickname basis anyway."

Erica nodded, feeling flustered. "R-Right."

She stood up to cast her gaze up at Seph. "So, if you would please follow me, Seph..."

The Gundam stood up and followed after her slowly, trying to avoid stepping on her as she slithered between his feet like a small ant.

Seeing her avoid his feet made him uneasy as he knelt down. "Hey. Hold on, Ms. Simmons. I think it'd be best if I carry you," he said. "I don't want to wind up stepping on you."

The woman glanced up, realizing what he meant. "Oh... right..." She stepped onto his hand as he held it out for her. Once she was on his palm, Seph raised her up to his shoulder. Erica was uncertain as she clambered onto his left shoulder guard, grabbing onto his cloak for extra security.

"There. And don't worry. I won't let you fall," Seph assured her.

"Okay. Just follow my directions, okay?" Erica asked.

The Gundam nodded. "Right."

The engineer proceeded to guide Seph towards a nearby training ground. The Gundam was quite surprised to see that there were several obstacles set up, including tanks. "Uh..." He looked in confusion at Erica. "What's all this?"

"This is your test," Erica explained as she gestured for Seph to put her down. The Gundam complied as she continued. "The first test takes place here. Our goal is to see just how fluid your movements are by going through the obstacle course we set up for you. Now bear in mind this is the first time we've done something like this, so we're learning as we go."

"Okay. So basically I gotta just get through this, right?" Seph asked.

The Coordinator nodded. "Yes."

Seph stood up and flexed his wings. "Shouldn't be too hard," he remarked. He rolled his shoulders before cracking his metallic neck joints. "I've done something like this before." He flexed his hands before cracking his metallic knuckles.

"Just wait for me to get out of the way," Erica cautioned. She scurried over to where a group of engineers, technicians, and Lord Uzumi stood behind a barrier. Cameras mounted atop poles swiveled to aim at the Gundam, homing in on his joints to map their flexibility and range of motion. Lord Uzumi raised a mike and spoke into it, his voice ringing out across the makeshift training field.

"_Okay, Mr. Matthews. Your objective is to complete this obstacle course in a given time frame, without the use of your flight capabilities. You will be monitored by cameras so we can map out your full range of motion for future reference,_" he began. "_I hope you are ready._"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" Seph said. He got into a sprinter's stance, his wings flexing a bit.

"_Then you may begin!_"

Seph tensed before he broke into a run. His metallic feet pounded the ground, leaving footprints behind him. He ran towards the first obstacle, a large stack of shipping containers. His optics narrowed as he crouched, and with a grunt, he leapt up over the containers. He landed on the other side just as a few tank guns roared, sending shells right in his direction.

The Gundam twisted his frame to the side, landing and skidding as the shells exploded against the ground. He sprinted towards the other side of the training ground. Uzumi's eyes narrowed as he observed the camera footage, showing Seph's joint movements. On his other side, a technician examined the footage as it showed a 3D image of Seph's servo joints. He was impressed by the range of motion Seph was capable of. "This could be of real use," he murmured. "Especially as our joints are not as good as these..."

Seph whirled around and sprang off the ground, leaping back, and in the middle of his jump, performed a perfect backflip to land on his feet, surprising everyone present. Uzumi's eyes widened a bit in astonishment. "Astounding..." one technician murmured. "To be able to perform such a feat..." Seph flexed his wings before folding them again and running before he stopped. A tank was coming his way. The Gundam growled to himself before he turned and ran for the edge of the course.

Of course, he wasn't about to get very far, for then a couple of helicopters hovered down, their guns trained on him.

Seph's optics narrowed as he judged the distances. "Hm... Not too bad... I can work with this."

He tensed and backed up a bit, his shoulders hunched. For a moment, the gathered observers wondered if he was going to retreat, but instead the Gundam broke into a full on sprint, dashing as fast as he could go for the other end of the training field. His speed was impressive, as he could cover distances much faster than a human could, especially given he was a sentient Gundam right now. He dodged the shells firing his way from the guns of the helicopters, proving to be too fast for them to hit only due to his experience.

Seph came to a halt closer to the helicopters before he leapt up, spinning his frame around as he landed. Two tanks aimed their guns at him and fired, but the Gundam dodged them and bolted for the end of the training field.

He passed over it with just two minutes to spare.

"_Nicely done, Mr. Matthews,_" Lord Athha remarked. "_This concludes your first test._"

Seph turned around, his chest moving as he panted slightly. In truth, he wasn't even tired; it was just a habit carried over from his human body. "Right."

He started to walk back to the starting point where several technicians were already analyzing his range of motion. Two of them were coming his way and he knelt down to meet their gazes.

"Mr. Matthews, if you don't mind, we'd like to perform a simple series of tests to fully map out your range of motion. This obstacle course proved you are quite nimble and agile, but we need the full data. The stuff you gave us has been helpful, but..." The first tech's voice trailed off as he shifted a bit. "It's not enough."

"Hm. So... basically you want me to simply follow your instructions for movement, right?" Seph inquired.

The technician nodded. "Yes. Simple stuff."

"I don't see any problem with that," the Gundam remarked. "But as long as we can do it someplace where I won't cause any damage to the parts you're making."

* * *

_A pair of eyes watched in secret as someone observed the machine performing an obstacle course. The way it moved was so fluid, so swift... and humanlike. A frown crossed the observer's face. From what they knew, mobile suits had only been introduced recently by ZAFT, and there was no one on Earth that was skilled enough to move a mobile suit with such experience and grace. That fact alone seemed to confirm that maybe there was a top secret unit capable of producing such a machine._

_And it was clearly of a breed of machine unlike anything they'd seen. Its body was clearly more humanlike in build, and its head had two optics in place of the one on ZAFT machines. And it had a V-shaped crest on its forehead, to boot. The observer wondered if this model was a stealth-based mobile suit, mostly because of the dark colored armor; it bordered almost on black, and when coupled with that dark brown tarp it wore like a cloak, it was close to impossible to find visually in the blackness of space. Nighttime was just as bad, if not worse, because of the fact it could snipe at their allies from a distance, if its pilot even got that idea._

_But now that they thought about it, they hadn't even _seen_ a pilot in the whole time the machine had been here. And the way it moved seemed far too human to be caused by a flesh and blood pilot. A chill raced down their spines. Maybe... was it possible... that the machine_ itself_ was sentient?!_

_That did seem to be the case._

_And it did offer an opportunity for their allies to get data for their newest project..._

_The figure slipped into the brush and vanished back towards their estate..._

* * *

"Hmm... I see... and this machine you claim is sentient?"

"_Yes, sir. It is clearly capable of its own judgment and actions. Just the way it moves is far too human and fluid to be caused by someone in a cockpit._"

"We cannot be certain without more evidence, as you know. For all we know, it could be a trick pulled by those damn Patchies up in orbit."

"_That could be true, but what little I have seen suggests_ otherwise."

"For now, continue to gather more evidence. If there _is_ a special ops unit for the patchies commanding this thing, then we'll have justification to further enhance the project."

"_And if it works...?_"

"Then not even Orb will stand a chance against us."

"_Very well. I shall continue observation until ordered otherwise._"

"Good. Now go."

The comm shut down and a shadowy figure hummed. "A sentient machine... Interesting..."

* * *

**Location: Morgenrote HQ**

**Date: 6 March 0070 CE**

**Time: 1400 hours**

The examination of his frame went smoothly. Over the next four days, the technicians took detailed notes on how his frame moved, from simple arm movements to the more complex movements of his wings. Seph had to admit, it was kind of awkward, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense they'd need more than just the data he had given them.

Orb had _no_ experience in mobile suit construction, let alone how to get one to move. And based on recent events he had learned about, it was of the utmost necessity to get Orb's mobile suit program off the ground as soon as possible.

For the most part though, Seph was just sitting around, only giving them data, not actually helping then, let alone contributing to the project. But that was about to change. The next time they called him down to the HQ, he was surprised to see them working on the torso of a new machine. The thing was mostly complete, with the head having been finished a few days prior. Seph looked at it curiously, noting how similar it was to his own helm. The only difference was it was missing the pyschoframe, which in his opinion was a good thing as it meant that no one could get their hands on its data.

The head's V-fin was a plain gunmetal grey and it seemed to sweep back a bit, unlike his own V-fin. The optical sensors were covered by green glass, and the faceplate was similar to his own, complete with the two slats in the middle of it. "Huh. That's... that's not bad," Seph remarked.

"It's only in the prototype stages," Erica remarked. "But the reason we called you down here was to help us with something."

"Finally! I was getting bored just sitting around and doing nothing!" Seph stated.

"Cut the snarks," the engineer scolded him as she looked up into his optics.

"Okay!" Seph raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Good. Now, the reason why we called you down was because we need to do some more tests," Erica explained. "But not in terms of movement or anything of that nature. Instead, we need your help in another aspect."

"What?" the Gundam asked. He was somewhat relieved that he didn't have to do anymore movement tests, but he still felt like he was being restrained.

"This time it has to do with weapons." Erica gestured to the torso of the new unit. "We've got a good idea as to what kind of weapons we want to build, but we still need to get an idea of how it's supposed to work." She looked him in the optics. "When we found you in the woods, you had with you a very unusual weapon." She turned to one of the techs and nodded. A large transport was wheeled out, and resting atop the bed, was his beam magnum.

"I was wondering where that went!" Seph exclaimed as he walked over and picked it up. He felt a huge sense of relief surge through his frame as he hefted the familiar weapon. He noticed that the rotary launcher was still attached, and right beside the gun was its e-pac magazine. Along with this were the two spares, the extra launcher and e-pac mag. He reattached the two spares to his rear skirt armor and slapped the e-pac mag home in his magnum.

"In addition, we noticed you had two smaller guns on your side skirt armor," Erica continued," as well as extra magazines for those."

"Oh, you mean my beam pistols?" Seph looked down, only to notice they were still attached. "Why didn't you remove them?"

"Because we weren't sure if you were offline or not," the engineer stated. Seph attached his beam magnum to his flight pack, earning a few murmurs in response.

"I can understand why then," the Gundam said as he rolled his shoulders. "So, you want me to use my weapons, right? To give you some additional data?"

"Yes. And we'd like to see your full arsenal, just to get an idea as to what other designs we can come up with," the Coordinator woman explained.

Seph shrugged. "Sure."

With that, she turned and led the Gundam out of the hangar to where a trio of large ships lay anchored out at sea. They clearly looked like they had been decommissioned and were in rough shape, with rust and barnacles starting to crawl over the keels. The paint was cracked and flaking, faded from the sun, and glass in the windows was missing or cracked.

"Those three ships are your targets," Erica told him. "So don't hold back."

"Okay. This, I can do!" Seph threw open his cloak and flexed his wings before kicking on his flight back and taking to the air.

The Gundam grasped his sword inside his shield and pulled it free from the sheath before he charged at the first ship, a large oil tanker that looked as if it had seen better days. He ignited the beam emitters along the edge of the sword and its edges became coated in pink beam energy. He dove down, his sword flashing as he cut through one wing of the bridge. The segment fell to the deck where Seph landed and kicked it airborne. The bridge segment flew through the air and he darted towards it, cleaving it in half a second time, both halves falling into the ocean. He landed on the deck of the tanker and whirled around, his next target coming into view.

Seph's optics narrowed as he sheathed his sword and raised both hands into fists. He could sense the confusion within the minds of those observing, but when he swung his beam tonfas forward and ignited the blades, he let out a small hum of satisfaction as he sensed the crowd's amazement. Without wasting a second more, he charged towards the bridge of the tanker again, leaping up for his strike, and this time he swung his tonfas in downward cutting motion, cutting clean through the upper decks and down to the main deck of the tanker. He landed on the deck, making a pair of indents in the metal surface as he stood up and spun around, brandishing his tonfas for the observers to see. He made sure to stand still for a full second before he folded them back and leapt off the tanker, deploying his Beam Burst Gun next. He aimed it at the oil tanker whose bridge he had just cut up, and fired it. The charged shot dispersed from the barrel, homing in on its target before it scattered into six smaller shots. The shots exploded against the tanker's hull and decks, causing gaping holes to appear in the thin metal shell. The ship began to sink with a roar as air was discharged from its internals with water rushing in to take its place. Seph folded his gun back against his right arm before he charged for the ship and fired off two missiles from his missile launchers, striking it amidships and causing it to break in two.

Everyone observing was clearly impressed as he twirled around and came to a hover over the ship's remains.

But he didn't wait any longer for Erica to speak. The cloaked Gundam whirled around and sped for the second ship, drawing out both beam pistols and aimed at the bridge again. This one was an old ocean liner, having been decommissioned fifty years ago but used as a training ship for boarding teams to practice on. Seph fired his pistols at the bridge, shattering windows and creating holes in its structure. He kept it up for a full thirty seconds before he terminated the attack and holstered the pistols on his side skirt armor. He then drew out both beam sabers and ignited the blades, diving down to cut a neat hole in the deck of the ship before he kicked it in and leapt off of the ship. He replaced the beam sabers on his flight pack and pointed his shiel at the side of the ship. The Dracon fangs equipped to his shield detached at his mental command and they started darting in and out of the steel hulk, leaving small holes in its walls and deck. But he didn't stop there. He charged up the cannon secreted in the shield... and fired. A brilliant bluish white blast of energy streaked towards the rusting ship, hitting it amidships and causing an explosion that cracked it in half. Again, air rushed in from the gap in the keel, dragging the ship down to a watery grave. Seph reattached his Dracon fang funnels to his shield and he snapped his arm out to the side before looking to the observers.

The third ship was all that remained: an old aircraft carrier that had been decommissioned from service fifteen years prior.

Seph grasped his beam magnum and pulled it free from his flight pack before he snapped his wings wide open to expose his imposing wingspan. He didn't even hesitate to launch his fin funnels from his wings, spreading them out over a wide range near the ship. He could sense the amazement the observers had of his remote weapons, as well as curiosity and downright terror from some of them. (He guessed it to be the Seirans, but he forced it from his mind right then; he could worry about that later.) The Gundam aimed his fin funnels at the ship's hull and fired them, the pinkish beams penetrating with ease, like a hot knife through butter. His optics narrowed as he aimed his beam magnum, his targeting system kicking in. The reticle danced across his vision as he shifted his aim. He held down the trigger and the energy began to build up in the barrel. As soon as the distinct whine reached its pitch, he fired. The bluish-reed energy shot struck the ship in the center, penetrating through to the bottom and letting water rush inside. As the carrier began to sink, the Gundam turned around and flared his wings as he reattached his fin funnels to them.

"_Okay! That's it for today, Seph!_" Erica remarked over the comms. "_You did well out there. We've gotten a ton of data to use._"

"Sure wish I could've done more," Seph muttered as he flew back to shore.

"_Well, not like you can do much right now,_" Erica explained. "_However, if you wish to, you can explore the Earth Sphere for a bit. Things may be tense right now, but as long as we can curtail Earth Alliance pressure, then maybe it would be best to get to know your new home for the moment._"

"I dunno. I did promise to keep you safe," the Gundam countered as he touched down on shore.

"_Just think of it like a brief_ vacation," Erica said. "_If there's any trouble, we'll let you know._"

Seph was surprised they wanted him to explore and get to know his new world, but then again, now that he thought about it, it did make sense. He needed to know as much as possible about this place if he was to be an effective member of Orb's defense forces, as well as an effective guardian.

"Okay... But I don't like leaving you guys alone with these two factions," he said worriedly.

"_We'll be fine,_" Lord Athha said, his voice making the Gundam yelp a bit. "_Consider it an order from me, if you must. But I strongly implore you go and see the world's state. Maybe then you can make your decisions with more wisdom and_ reason."

"Yes, sir," the Gundam said.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

**Date: Unknown**

**Time: Unknown**

_"Hmm... it seems he's made some progress in helping them," he chuckled._

_..._

_"Psh. Of course he can explore. It will be fun to see how he'll react to what those Blue Cosmos members have been doing to children~!" he sang._

_..._

_"Okay. So maybe it may not be a wise move, but come on. I do want to see how he'll react. And admit it. You want to see this fool's reaction, too," he asked his companion._

_He swirled his drink before taking a sip._

_"He's only a mere lizard. And besides..." A sneer crossed his face. "Once the war really heats up, we can see how far we can push him..."_

_His gaze landed on a fleet of ships lurking close by to the abandoned colonies, eyeing one in particular. "As well as that foolish impostor..." His eyes morphed into the X-shaped pupils as he chuckled. "Yes... this will be fun indeed... and now... we can really see the side acts begin..."_


End file.
